Georgetown Students Prepare to Lead in an Unpredictable World

Ministers, government officials, ambassadors, industry experts, students, and guests gathered at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) Thursday to celebrate the inaugural cohort of students in Georgetown’s International Executive Master’s in Emergency & Disaster Management. This group of students comprises the first cohort to successfully complete the University’s one-year executive master’s degree in Emergency & Disaster Management with a focus on the Middle East.

In an impressive display, 11 students showcased what they have learned in the program and their diverse areas of interest in a gallery walk exhibition featuring their final thesis projects. Their work highlighted the dire need for qualified personnel to take part in the preparedness, mitigation, and response process for national and regional emergencies. The incoming cohort of students, numbering 30, had the valuable opportunity to network with students in the outgoing cohort, and to prepare for their upcoming academic experience.

Addressing the students at the ceremony, Kelly Otter, Ph.D., dean of Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies commended their work. “This was a tremendous opportunity to embrace and evaluate the needs of emergency and disaster management professionals in the region. We seek to engage and understand the emerging and evolving challenges of the day—and to provide an education that rises to the occasion. After seeing your exceptional Capstone presentations, I am confident that we’ve been successful.”

“These students come from varying backgrounds and have combined their professional experience with coursework and hands-on learning to produce their final projects, which we have seen exhibited here,” said Ahmad Dallal, Ph.D., dean of Georgetown University in Qatar. He added: “We are proud to play our part in building Qatar’s knowledge economy and supporting the country’s development and vision for the emergency and disaster management profession.” 

The keynote speaker of this event was H.E. Dr. Mohamed Saleh Al-Sada, Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry. He highlighted the importance of this program as the first Georgetown professional degree program tailored for the Middle East regional context.

Addressing the graduates, H.E. Dr. Al-Sada praised the students for taking the initiative leading the first cohort in Emergency and Disaster Management:” Your class should take pride in encouraging three times as many students as your group to join the next cohort, and we are very proud of you for initiating this journey of Georgetown University. “ 

He emphasized the need to continually work on improving safety practices and create a culture of excellence in order to ensure stability in the face of challenges and disasters: “Qatar was well equipped for the blockade and our emergency plans have proven to be invaluable. Thanks to our preparedness, Qatar has managed to weather the storm and continues to gain positive recognition around the world.”

In an increasingly complex world that is vulnerable to natural and manmade disasters, particularly in a region susceptible to political turmoil, the graduates of this executive master’s degree program look forward to a rewarding career in emergency and disaster management and to making the Middle East region a safer place.